Cari Swanson

The Agony of Defeat

Will Faudree and his veteran partner Antigua, aka “Brad” suffered a tremendous blow yesterday after they blazed around the cross country course at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event in the fastest time posted. Brad pulled a shoe on course, stepping on a clip which caused him to be unable to jog sound for Show Jumping today. With a score of 54.4 and standing in fourth place at the most prestigious four star event in our country, they had to withdraw from completing. So close to victory and unable to finish. A devastating break in a stellar career. Ironically, a clear show jumping round would have placed them at the top of the leaderboard. Such is the fate of one of our top competive pairs. Not to worry though, this amazing team will be back at the Pan Am games competing for the USA. Luckily Brad only suffered a minor injury and he will be back in top form.

2007 Rolex 3 Day Event Underway

Rain will not dampen the spirit of the competitors or spectators of the most prestigious exciting 3 Day Event in the USA. Every Spring, thousands of fans descend upon Lexington Kentucky to witness the best rider and horse combinations compete over 4 days of dressage, cross country and show jumping. This year includes my favorite team of the uber talented Will Faudree and his mount Antigua, affectionately known as Brad. They are currently in 9th place after dressage and only 5 points from the leader. Anything can happen out on the cross country course reported as being the most complex ever. I am confident Will mounted on his veteran best friend will finish in the top three. Stay tuned by following the daily scores at www.3dke.org

Listen to your Horse

Is your horse trying to tell you something? If you take the time to watch and listen, you will often find your horse is actually talking to you. I have one horse who is constantly moving his upper lip, no matter what we are doing. He can be standing in the cross ties or performing highly collected movements in the arena. It is important to know what is normal and what is unusual for your horse. They are expressive creatures who want to let you know how they feel. It is useful to keep a journal of your observations as well as your training program. Working with horses is fascinating. Being with these noble animals forces us to be in the moment which is the key to life. When you live in the present all fears of the past and future subside.

Here is RJ making funny faces while I work with him at liberty. He is an unusually “talkative horse” with his eye never leaving me. We rode out alone on a hack yesterday when suddenly he stopped on the trail. He would not budge, so I sat and waited. After a few minutes several deer appeared out of the forest in front of us. He was waiting for them to pass. Once they were out of sight he moved on with a purposeful walk looking for more wildlife. I think he is enjoying his move to the east coast.

Patience is Golden Rule

Patience is critical when working with horses. There is no place for temper. Horses are incredibly generous animals who usually want to please. They are herd animals, seeking the alpha leader. I am reminded of this each day as I work with this special stallion, RJ, the star of the Hollywood film Hidalgo (2004). He teaches me important lessons as we learn from each other. Moving from the desert of Southern California to Dutchess County New York has been an adjustment. He is not familiar with crossing muddy streams on trails or galloping through the countryside where we often meet hawks and deer. Although he is curious, these critters are not as strange as the camels he worked with on the set of the film in Morroco. I teach him some basic dressage movements and he is reminding me of sliding stops. Communication is easy if we remain clear in our request and patient in understanding what is desired.

Arista Trunk Show

Invitation Only Trunk Show

Cari Swanson invites you to
an exclusive opportunity to shop

Arista Equestrian
2007 Spring Collection
(Cool Plus, Show Shirts, Vests, Breeches, etc.)

Saturday, May 5th 1-4pm

Windrock Farm
724 Bangall Amenia Road
Amenia, NY 12501

Please RSVP promptly.
Limited to the first 15 replies.
845-868-1931
cari@cariswanson.com

Equine Star of Hidalgo

Come meet the Hollywood Star of Hidalgo on May 5 at Windrock Farm in Millbrook New York. Limited tickets available so if you are interested in seeing RJ perform some of his tricks contact cari@cariswanson.com.

All proceeds will benefit the Horse Rescue, Rehab and Retirement Foundation.

The Star of Hidalgo–“RJ”

RJ, the main star of Hidalgo, has arrived at Windrock Farm. He is an amazing horse in that he is highly trick trained and super intelligent. Working with him every day is a challenge and an honor as he teaches me many things each session. This horse never takes his eye off you and loves to work.

There will be several opportunities to meet him at the farm, check out the web site for dates and time www.cariswanson.com